Thenheturnedbackandpouredoutaglassofwinefromthedecanterwhichyetremainedonthetable。Hiseyecaughtthewine-glasswhichHarryhadusedbuttwoorthreehoursbefore。Hesighedalongquiveringsigh，andthenmasteringhimselfagain，helefttheroom。“Youhadbettergobacktoyoursisters，MissSophy“saidnurse。MissCarsonwent。Shecouldnotfacedeathyet。ThenursefollowedMrCarsontotheservants’hall。Thereontheirdinner-tablelaythepoordeadbody。Themenwhohadbroughtitweresittingnearthefire，whileseveraloftheservantsstoodroundthetable，gazingattheremains。Theremains!Oneortwowerecrying；oneortwowerewhispering；awedintoastrangestillnessofvoiceandactionbythepresenceofthedead。WhenMrCarsoncameintheyalldrewbackandlookedathimwiththereverenceduetosorrow。Hewentforwardandgazedlongandfondlyonthecalm，deadface；thenhebentdownandkissedthelipsyetcrimsonwithlife。Thepolicemenhadadvanced，andstoodreadytobequestioned。Butatfirsttheoldman’smindcouldonlytakeintheideaofdeath；slowly，slowly，cametheconceptionofviolence，ofmurder，“Howdidhedie？“hegroanedforth。Thepolicemenlookedateachother。Thenonebegan，andstatedthathavingheardthereportofaguninTurnerStreet，hehadturneddownthatwayalonelyunfrequentedwayMrCarsonknew，butashortcuttohisgardendoor，ofwhichHarryhadakey；thatashethepolicemancamenearer，hehadheardfootstepsasofamanrunningaway；buttheeveningwassodarkthemoonnothavingyetrisenthathecouldseenoonetwentyyardsoff。Thathehadevenbeenstartledwhenclosetothebodybyseeingitlyingacrossthepathathisfeet。Thathehadsprunghisrattle；andwhenanotherpolicemancameup，bythelightofthelanterntheyhaddiscoveredwhoitwasthathadbeenkilled。Thattheybelievedhimtobedeadwhentheyfirsttookhimup，ashehadnevermoved，spoken，orbreathed。Thatintelligenceofthemurderhadbeensenttothesuperintendent，whowouldprobablysoonbehere。Thattwoorthreepolicemenwerestillaboutthep]ace，wherethemurderwascommitted，seekingoutforsometraceofthemurderer。Havingsaidthis，theystoppedspeaking。MrCarsonhadlistenedattentively，nevertakinghiseyesoffthedeadbody。Whentheyhadended，hesaid，“Wherewasheshot？“Theyliftedupsomeofthethickchestnutcurls，andshowedabluespotyoucouldhardlycallitahole，thefleshhadclosedsomuchoverit
inthelefttemple。Adeadlyaim!Andyetitwassodarkanight!“Hemusthavebeencloseuponhim，“saidonepoliceman。“Andhavehadhimbetweenhimandthesky，“addedtheother。Therewasalittlecommotionatthedoorofthroom，andtherestoodpoorMrsCarson，themother。Shehadheardunusualnoisesinthehouse，andhadsentdownhermaidmuchmoreacompaniontoherthanherhighly-educateddaughterstodiscoverwhatwasgoingon。Butthemaideitherforgot，ordreaded，toreturn；andwithnervousimpatienceMrsCarsoncamedownherself；andhadtracedthehumandbuzzofvoicestotheservants’hall。MrCarsonturnedround。Buthecouldnotleavethedeadforanyoneliving。“Takeheraway，nurse。Itisnosightforher。TellMissSophytogotohermother。“Hiseyeswereagainfixedonthedeadfaceofhisson。PresentlyMrsCarson’shystericalcrieswereheardalloverthehouse。
Herhusbandshudderedattheoutwardexpressionoftheagonywhichwasrendinghisheart。Thenthepolicesuperintendentcame，andafterhimthedoctor。Thelatterwentthroughalltheformsofascertainingdeath，withoututteringaword，andwhenattheconclusionoftheoperationofopeningavein，fromwhichnobloodflowed，heshookhishead，allpresentunderstoodtheconfirmationoftheirpreviousbelief。ThesuperintendentaskedtospeaktoMrCarsoninprivate。“ItwasjustwhatIwasgoingtorequestofyou，“answeredhe；soheledthewayintothedining-room，withthewine-glassstillonthetable。Thedoorwascarefullyshut，andbothsatdown，eachapparentlywaitingfortheothertobegin。AtlastMrCarsonspoke。“YouprobablyhaveheardthatIamarichman。“Thesuperintendentbowedinassent。“Well，sir，half——nay，ifnecessary，thewholeofmyfortuneIwillgivetohavethemurdererbroughttothegallows。“Everyexertion，youmaybesure，sir，shallbeusedonourpart；butprobablyofferingahandsomerewardmightacceleratethediscoveryofthemurderer。
ButwhatIwantedparticularlytotellyou，sir，isthatoneofmymenhasalreadygotsomeclue，andthatanotherwhoaccompaniedmeherehaswithinthisquarterofanhourfoundaguninthefieldwhichthemurderercrossed，andwhichheprobablythrewawaywhenpursued，asencumberinghisflight。Ihavenotthesmallestdoubtofdiscoveringthemurderer。““Whatdoyoucallahandsomereward？“saidMrCarson。“Well，sir，three，orfivehundredpoundsisamunificentrewardmorethanwillprobablyberequiredasatemptationtoanyaccomplice。““Makeitathousand“saidMrCarson，decisively。“It’sthedoingofthosedamnedturn-outs。““Iimaginenot，“saidthesuperintendent。“SomedaysagothemanIwasnamingtoyoubefore，reportedtotheinspectorwhenhecameonhisbeat，thathehadtoseparateyoursonfromayoungman，whobyhisdresshebelievedtobeemployedinafoundry；thatthemanhadthrownMrCarsondown，andseemedinclinedtoproceedtomoreviolence，whenthepolicemancameupandinterfered。Indeed，mymanwishedtogivehiminchargeforanassault，butMrCarsonwouldnotallowthattobedone。““Justlikehim!——noblefellow!“murmuredthefather。“Butafteryoursonhadleft，themanmadeuseofsomeprettystrongthreats。
Andit’sratheracuriouscoincidencethatthisscuffletookplaceintheverysamespotwherethemurderwascommitted；inTurnerStreet。“Therewassomeoneknockingatthedooroftheroom。ItwasSophy，whobeckonedherfatherout，andthenaskedhim，inanawe-struckwhisper，tocomeup-stairsandspeaktohermother。“ShewillnotleaveHarry，andtalkssostrangely。Indeed——indeed——papa，Ithinkshehaslosthersenses。“Andthepoorgirlsobbedbitterly。“Whereisshe？“askedMrCarson。“Inhisroom。“Theywentup-stairsrapidly，andsilently。Itwasalargecomfortablebedroom；